There is a petition has been filed at the Islamabad High Court seeking to have federal law enacted prohibiting children and young people aged 16 years or less from having social media profiles. This is in the context of rising worries regarding cyber-bullying and the sexual exploitation of minors.

Proposed Age-Verification System

The petition further suggests that both PTA and NADRA cooperate in devising ways through which it can be confirmed whether the users are underage. Furthermore, it suggests that there should be actions taken against parents who assist their minors to circumvent this ban.

Australia’s Law Cited as a Reference

Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 serves as a good example for the suggested framework. In accordance with the Australian regulation, social media providers have to take all possible actions to prevent under-16-year-olds from having accounts on their websites.

No Nationwide Ban Yet

The case maintains that the government is bound to protect underage individuals under the doctrine of parens patriae. It should be noted that the IHC has not made any recommendation to the government regarding passing such a law. The allegation of the high number of underage TikTok users in Pakistan lacks data to prove it.

FAQs

What does the petition propose?
It seeks legislation restricting social media accounts for users under 16.

How would ages be verified?
PTA and NADRA could jointly develop an age-verification mechanism.

Has Pakistan approved the restriction?
No. The proposal remains under consideration, with no nationwide ban ordered by the IHC.

Conclusion

This petition highlights the issue of child safety in social media once again, and it could become part of discussions related to age verification and online safety in Pakistan.

Protecting Children Online: Pakistan Petition Targets Under-16 Accounts